Govt may step in over Upper Kedron mega suburb

By Tony Moore

Updated3 March 2015 - 10:33amfirst published 2 March 2015 - 07:42pm

The new Queensland Government has decided to review Brisbane's $900 million mega suburb near The Gap, one of the key election promises of new Education Minister Kate Jones against former premier Campbell Newman in the Ashgrove electorate.

The 980-home residential development was approved by Brisbane City Council in December 2014 and became a central feature of the Ashgrove electorate in the January 2015 election.

Planning Minister Jackie Trad has said the government would approve 480 dwellings, rather than the originally proposed 1350.

Photo: Robert Shakespeare

Deputy Premier and Local Government Minister Jackie Trad on Monday was considering "calling in" the controversial Cedar Woods development between The Gap and Upper Kedron back under the State Government microscope.

"Today I have notified all parties – the developers and the community – that I am considering a 'call-in' for the proposed Cedar Woods development," Ms Trad said.

The state government can "call in" a project if it believes there are issues where the local council may have overstepped its planning guidelines.

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"This issue was raised during the election campaign, with the community raising concerns around traffic impacts and whether the development is in accordance with Brisbane City Council's planning scheme - City Plan 2014," Ms Trad said.

"We made a commitment to listen to the community, and this proposed call-in notice will provide an opportunity for all stakeholders to have their say."

The issue became a political hot potato in the Ashgrove electorate in the recent state election, with Labor candidate Kate Jones (Ashgrove) and Mark Furner (Ferny Grove) opposing the proposal, while the LNP's former sitting MPs Campbell Newman and Dale Shuttleworth supported the plan.

By September 2014 about 1000 objections were received about the application to develop 1350 lots over 227 hectares.

However, by the time Cedar Woods was finally approved by Brisbane City Council on December 9, 2014, the scale of the project was reduced from 1350 blocks to 980 over 10 stages.

The density of the proposed development had been reduced to about 7.5 dwellings a hectare, about half the original ratio.

The main entrance would be in Leavitt Road, near Upper Kedron.

The Labor council Opposition raised several questions about the development, including the sale of the land by prominent LNP fundraiser Ian McAllister and his wife Joy, and traffic impacts.

At the last council meeting before the development was approved, Opposition leader Milton Dick revealed that Mr McAllister made five legal donations to the LNP, totalling $12,200, between November 2011 and November 2013.

Mr McAllister signed an infrastructure agreement for the sale of the land to West Australian property developer Cedar Woods on February 27, 2014.

Lord mayor Graham Quirk met Mr McAllister in Melbourne the next day.

That infrastructure agreement sets in cement a promise to preserve 90 hectares of bushland – from the 227-hectare site - around Mt Nebo* Road.

However, some residents of The Gap and Upper Kedron – and wider Brisbane – wanted Brisbane City Council to preserve the local area plan, which set out even lower "acreage-styled" density and argued for 140 hectares of bushland to be protected.

The previous LNP government also promised, in December 2014, not to build a road connection through to Mr Nebo* Road, after Fairfax Media revealed the project developer's own documents showed a major future problem of cars "striking koalas" on Mt Nebo* Road.

Ms Trad said she was using her powers under the Sustainable Planning Act to give all parties 20 days to provide submissions on the project.

"I want all parties to know that this decision will be made on planning merit, not politics," Ms Trad said.

The city council approved 780 lots, with the potential for 200 additional lots, based on a future potential road connection to Ross Road.

Ms Trad said the development was a significant subdivision on undeveloped and constrained land adjoining Brisbane Forest Park.

"For this reason, I consider that this development could potentially affect economic and environmental state interests of this part of the state," she said.

"I also note that council's decision is a departure from its planning scheme, which was only adopted in 2014."

The closing date for submissions is March 30.

Ms Trad, as Minister for Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning, will make a decision on whether to "call in" the development by April 29.

A spokesman for the Brisbane City Council said the development was approved subject to more than 550 conditions after an assessment against the Brisbane City Plan 2000 and the Sustainable Planning Act 2009.

"Upper Kedron was identified by the former Labor State Government in its 2009 SEQ Regional Plan as an area to accommodate future residential growth," he said.

"Council has now been advised of the Minister's consideration to "call in" this application under her power through the Sustainable Planning Act 2009.

"The Minister would then become the decision maker as to whether the development will go ahead or not.

"There is no right of appeal on the Minister's decision by the applicant, the submitters or Council.

* Correction: The story originally reported it was Mt Crosby Road, which was incorrect.